Protective pad for corns.



No. 694,762. Patented Man-4,1902."

s.'A. LEVEL. PROTECTIVE PAD FUR BURNS.

(Application filed Oct. 29, 1901.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT O EIcE.

SAMUEL A. LEVEL, or HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS.-

. I, PROTECTIVE PAD FOR CORNS.

EPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,762, dated March 4, 1902. 7

Application fi ed October 29, 1901. Serial No. 803L353. (No model.)

To (til whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. LEVEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hot Springs, in the county of Garland and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Protective Pad, of which the following is a specification. I r

My invention relates to protective pads; and its objects are to prevent chafing of parts of the body to prevent the formation of corns over or upon the phalangeal joints of the foot, and in cases where such corns have been formed to provide a protection therefor; to relieve the pressure and rubbing between the toes of the foot and the forward part of the shoe caused by the weight and movement of the body of the person and the foot; to distribute the pressure of the foot upon the in.- ner surface of the shoe and, conversely, the pressure of the shoe upon certain parts of the foot in such a way that the toes of the foot will be protected and relieved from undue pressure and rubbing contact with the shoe; to provide means to hold the toes of the foot in such a position within the shoe that rubbing againsteach other will be greatly lessened and the formation of soft corns prevented.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the provision of means to prevent or limit the longitudinal movement of the foot within a shoe, thereby to relieve the pressure tending to force the toes against and produce rubbing contact with the forward part of the shoe.

The invention consists, finally, in the novel construction of a protective pad to be hereinafter described and claimed.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout all the figures, and in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective, showing a pad constructed according to my invention and applied to a foot in the position of use. Fig. 2. is an inverted plan view of the pad alone. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the same in front elevation.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a pad or cushion of any'suitable yielding or resilient material, such as rubber or felt, or it may be constructed of several different materials arranged in layers or otherwise. One surface of the pad is formed with a plurality of grooves or depressions to conform in this instance to the shape of that portion of the foot upon which the pad is. to be placed,

whereby the latter is held in position not only against bodily displacement, but against any turning or twisting movement upon the foot.

The device is tobe placed, preferably, upon tending its length near one edge, this portion merging laterally into a plurality of grooves or depressions a to fit over the. base of the toes and extend out over a part of the length of the first bone of each. This construction performs the double function of holding the pad in position upon the foot and of main-- taining the toes in the proper position. In the case of irregular toes, also, it tends to bring the same into the proper position and .in many cases causes them to grow straight.

The projections a between said depressions or grooves keep' the toes from rubbing together, and thus prevent the formation of corns upon the sides and between the latter. The end depressions 0. are formed incomplete, the material sloping at the outer ends of the pad to form a tapered edge, the upper surface a being slightly convexed and forming, with the lower surface, a tapered edge, ex- ,cept upon the edge over the toes, which is smoothed off or rounded. The opposite edge a or that toward the upper part of the foot is preferably curved inwardly to conform to the rounded contour of that part of the foot.

In use, the pad is held in position preferably by the stocking of the wearer and the shoe then put on. that the tendency will be to hold the foot against longitudinal movement toward the front of the shoe when taking a step or when the weight of the body .is put upon the foot, thus preventing undue pressure being brought to bear upon the toes 'to force them into rubbing contact with. the shoe. The object and operation my invention, therefore, are to be carefully distinguished from what are commonly known as corn and bun It will be seen, therefore,

ion plasters or shields, which are constructed to surround the part aifected and which in most cases produce an undesirable pressure immediately around and close to said part.

In practice my prophylactic will be made in pairs of various sizes to correspond to the various sizes of shoes, and of varying thicknesses to meet the requirements of individual cases and difierent conditions.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. A pad having its under surface formed with projections and depressions to conform to the upper portion of the foot at and adja pressions to conform to the upper portion of the foot at and adjacent the base of the toes, and an upper surface rounded in conformity with the inner surface of the shoe-vamp in proximity thereto, substantially as described.

4. A pad having aconvexed upper surface, a partly-flattened lower surface, and tapered edges, said lower surface being formed with grooves or depressions extending laterally and merging into the remainder of said lowersurface, substantially as described.

5. A pad having a .convexed upper surface, a partly-flattened lower surface and tapered edges, said lower surface being formed with grooves or depressions extending laterally and merging into the remainder of said lower surface, and the grooves or depressions adjacent to the ends of the pad being formed incomplete to produce with'the upper surface a tapered edge, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL A. LEVEL.

Witnesses:

MosEs A. ARNOLD, SAML. J. EVANS. 

